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Melatonin use in infants and toddlers

Judith Owens1, Natalie Barnett2, Maristella Lucchini2

  • 1Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 9 Hope Avenue, Waltham, MA, USA.

Sleep Medicine
|June 15, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Melatonin use in young children is increasing, but studies show caregivers often get recommendations from non-professionals. This raises concerns about safety and efficacy due to lack of oversight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Melatonin supplements are increasingly used by children in the US.
  • There is a lack of data on melatonin's safety and efficacy in children under two years old.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate melatonin use in US infants and toddlers.
  • To understand caregiver-reported reasons for use and information sources.

Main Methods:

  • An online survey was administered to caregivers using the Nanit baby monitoring system.
  • Participants had children aged 0-36 months and completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire-Revised (BISQ-R).

Main Results:

  • 1.7% of surveyed caregivers reported using melatonin for their child.
  • Half of melatonin users received recommendations from non-healthcare professionals.
  • Reasons for use included non-supported indications like improving sleep quality.

Conclusions:

  • Widespread pediatric melatonin use warrants concern due to lack of regulation.
  • Inaccurate product labeling and non-evidence-based usage highlight safety issues.

Keywords:
Infants and toddlersMelatoninPediatric insomnia

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